


A World Alone

by zap4612



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jeronica, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Veronica Lodge Needs a Hug, Vughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2019-11-08 22:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17990036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zap4612/pseuds/zap4612
Summary: Jughead absolutely never intended to find Veronica on the shore of Sweetwater River.  But suddenly, he was glad he did. (Pls read notes before reading)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic is was hugely inspired by my personal life and what I'm going through right now. Veronica was a character I could relate to. This fic was a way from me to vent my feelings whilst writing about one of my favorite ships. So before anyone comes at me saying "Betty would never do/say that, Veronica's parents aren't like that" or whatever, keep in mind, this was a way for me to vent. Also please ignore any typos/errors. This takes places after 3x13. That being said, please enjoy this fluff of a fic.

A loud, startling thud rang out through the Lodge apartment, followed by incoherent yelling. Veronica jumped. She reached over to her side table, untangling her white earbuds. She let her playlist play on shuffle, leaning back against her pillow and turning the volume up a little louder than she normally would. Even through the Lorde song that played, Veronica could hear her father yelling and hitting his desk. Each thud made her involuntarily jump, which prompted her to turn her music up even louder. She felt on edge and uncomfortable. The raven-haired girl tossed and turned in her bed, trying to calm her racing heart. She picked up her phone. 

_Veronica: Hey B, u busy?_

_Betty: I am, sorry. I have to stop my mom from joining ‘The Farm’_

_Veronica: Omg, she’s still trying to do that? Parents suck._

_Betty: What would u know about having bad parents_

_Veronica: R u serious?_

_Betty: Last time I checked, u were living in a nice apartment, had no financial worries, your dad wasn't a serial killer and your mom wasn't trying to join some brain-washing cult_

_Veronica: Look, I’m sorry for that, but my parents aren’t saints either_

_Betty: Well we weren’t talking about your parents, were we?_

Veronica dropped her phone for a moment. What a mess this conversation was turning into when all she wanted was to hang out with her best friend away from the hellhole that was the Pembrooke. Her heart ached for Betty, it really did. She felt bad that her family had put her through so many horrible things. But right now, her head was so full with toxic information that she couldn’t handle it anymore

_Veronica: As selfish as it is, I can’t have this convo with u rn. I need a break._

She dropped her phone again. It buzzed with more texts from Betty, ones she couldn’t even bother to check. Her head was clouded with overlapping thoughts. Her phone continually buzzed. She quickly silenced it, sighing. More yelling from her father had her squeezing her eyes closed.

“Jesus Christ.” She thought, sitting up.

Veronica slipped on her shoes and grabbed her coat, padding softly to the kitchen. She swiped a bottle of scotch from a cabinet above the sink and a blanket from off the sofa. 

\---

The water lapped idly at the shore of Sweetwater River. The trees stood tall, casting shadows across the area. The sun was starting to set, bathing the sky in warm colors. Veronica lounged on the blanket, taking swigs of scotch. She had kicked off her shoes hours ago. Her phone quietly played music, which she drummed her fingers along to. The raven-haired girl stared straight ahead, out into the horizon. A few tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away and took a long swig of alcohol. It warmed her insides and calmed her nerves. She laid down on her back, staring up at the sky until the stars came out. They sparkled brightly against the dark canvas. Veronica sighed through her nose as her thoughts caught up to her. Her life was turning into a mess. Suddenly everything that could go wrong, was. She owed her parents 750,000 dollars and owed Gladys Jones. She had no idea how was she going to come up with the money. Betty obviously didn’t care about her at the moment, leaving Veronica to bottle up everything she would have usually spilled to the blonde. Archie hasn’t even looked in her direction since they “broke up” outside Hiram’s hospital room. Her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, had gone to hell. Her parents were fighting constantly, hence the yelling and hitting things that made home feel like the farthest thing from safe. It seemed like everyone was on her case about something and everyone needed her to solve their problems. Everyone seemed to forget that she was just one sixteen-year-old girl. The scotch made her slightly sleepy. She closed her eyes, letting the cool night air wash over her. She wasn’t sure how long she was laying there until she heard footsteps. 

“Hey, Princess.”

She didn’t have to look up to know who was talking to her. No one else called her that nickname that she secretly didn’t hate. 

“Jughead.” 

He sat down next to her, close enough she could feel the heat from his body but not close enough that they were touching. She tensed slightly. She and Jughead weren’t the type of people who could be next to each other without doing something they’d regret. Veronica focused her gaze upward, making it a point not to look at him. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked. 

“You don’t have a monopoly on coming here to cry and mope.” 

“I wasn’t crying.” Veronica corrected quickly. 

She wasn’t sure she wanted Jughead to see the vulnerable side of her. 

“Your running mascara tells me otherwise.” 

She wiped her cheeks with her coat sleeve as if that would do anything. 

“Enlighten me, Princess, what are today’s daddy issues?” Jughead remarked. 

She bristled.

“What’s it matter to you?” Veronica demanded. 

She internally cursed at herself. Her question had been a little harsh. Her despotic response to Jughead’s query was a defense mechanism she wished she could get rid of. Jughead, however, seemed unphased. 

“Despite whatever you may think, Veronica, finding you crying on the edge of Sweetwater River isn’t something that makes me happy.” 

Veronica paused. That was not a sentence she ever expected to come from his mouth. She finally looked up at him and softened. There was no trace of hate in his blue eyes. 

“Will you tell me what’s wrong now?” He asked softly. 

She reached over and grabbed the bottle of scotch. 

“I’m going to need to be a little drunker if we’re going to talk about that.” 

Veronica sat up and took a sip of scotch and held it out to Jughead in an offering. He looked at her before taking the bottle, leaning back and taking a long swig. She leaned back onto her hands, only to realize her balance was off. She nearly fell back but was able to catch herself. Jughead chuckled. 

“Seems like you’re drunk enough to talk to now.”

She took the scotch from him. 

“One more for good measure.” Veronica laughed and proceeded to finish off the bottle. 

Jughead stared at her for a moment, taking in her flushed cheeks and stoic yet calm expression. The scotch continued to make her drowsy. She gave a small yawn. Jughead smiled before patting his lap in a wordless invite. Even in her intoxicated state, she knew there was something off about that.

“No one’s going to see us if that’s what you’re worried about.” He smirked at her.

“But you have a girlfriend.” 

Jughead made a big show and turning his head to look around. 

“I don’t see her right now. So lay down and tell me what’s happening in that head of yours.” 

Veronica slowly rested her head in his lap. Instantly, she chastised herself for not doing this earlier. She relaxed her shoulders and turned her head, glancing up at Jughead.

“It’s not just daddy issues this time.”

“Apprise me.” 

So she did. 

“I’ll start with my father, I suppose.” 

She explained how she had burned his drug empire and how her mother had a buyer lined up. Throughout the story, Jughead tried to keep his face neutral, but failed at hiding his astonishment. 

“Are you serious. Your own father is making you pay him 750,000 dollars?” He asked incredulously.

“Dead serious.”

He shook his head. She then bit her lip. She knew it was a bad idea to tell Jughead about what his mom was doing. 

“Whatever it is you’re debating telling me, just tell me.” 

“I can’t.” 

“C’mon, Princess. You can trust me.” 

Veronica pressed her lips together. Her heart started racing again like she was back at the Pembrooke. She was afraid if she told him, he’d leave and she’d be alone again. She didn’t want this moment to end. 

“It’s something you’re not going to want to hear.” 

“Try me.” 

Veronica took a deep breath before telling him about her deal with his mom and what his mom was planning. 

“I’m really sorry, Jughead.” She finished quietly. 

She began to sit up, because surely, their serene moment had passed. But he stopped her halfway by putting a hand on her shoulder. Veronica searched his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She came up empty. 

“I knew she was up to something. I just can’t believe she dragged you into it.” Jughead finally met her gaze. 

He broke away from her stare, tilting his head up. 

“So you’re not mad at me?” 

“Not at you, Princess.” 

For what felt like an eternity to Veronica, they sat there in silence with her not quite fully sitting up. Eventually, Jughead gently pushed her back down into his lap. 

“What else is bothering you?”

She looked at him for confirmation that she should actually continue her list of woes. His silent response was to reach out and brush stray hair off her forehead. Veronica spent the next ten minutes telling him about how people seemed to expect her to solve their problems and saw her as someone to pile more issues onto. Everyone’s issues plus her own rattled around in her mind, leaving her in dark places she didn’t want to be. She told him about her parents constant fighting and how she dreaded going home. 

“It’s like, everyone needs a piece of me and I just can’t give anymore without losing myself completely.” Veronica explained. 

“Princess, your priority shouldn't be everyone else. It should be you. Take the weight off your shoulders.”

She remained quiet for a moment.

“Okay.” Veronica replied finally. 

“Okay.” He repeated. 

 

There was a few more moments of silence before she spoke. 

“So now that you’ve listened to me whine for an hour and you’ve become my pillow, what brought you out here?” Veronica questioned with a slightly teasing tone, putting extra emphasis on the word “you” 

He gave a non-committall shrug. 

“Just needed to clear my head.” 

He too was struggling with the dilemma of having people forget he was just a teenager. 

“Do you ever just think about how different life would be if Riverdale was a normal town?” Jughead stared off into the distance as if he could just see it. 

He, Archie, Betty, and Veronica would spend their weekends at Pop’s or the Drive In. They’d tease each other through the halls of Riverdale High and most importantly, the idea of murder would never cross their minds. 

“Well, I’m not the one who grew up here and knew what it was like before any murders happened.”

“What if you’d stayed in New York?”

Veronica shook her head.

“As messed up and dark as this town is, I’m glad I left the city. The girl I was there was a bitch. You wouldn’t have liked her.”

Jughead stared down at her for a long moment, staring into her dark brown eyes. He never knew he and Veronica were so alike, so aligned in their own dark way. He slowly leaned down, brushing her raven hair behind her ears. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks as she tilted her face up. 

“Well I like this you.” Jughead whispered before closing the gap between them.

He kissed her softly, slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. And maybe they did. In that shining moment, they were purely themselves. They didn’t gave to live up to anyone else’s standard, listen to anyone else’s lies. They could be carefree. They were just kids. The world around them faded away, leaving them lost in each other’s touch. Jughead broke away first, resting his forehead against hers. Their racing breaths mingled together. Veronica smiled brightly. Jughead chuckled before laying down and pulling her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and snuggled into his side. Jughead absolutely never intended to find Veronica on the shore of Sweetwater River. But suddenly, he was glad he did. Veronica closed her eyes. The music that drifted from her phone was quiet, but as she fell asleep, she could pick up the one lyric she needed to hear. 

_Let em’ talk cause we’re dancing in this world alone._


	2. Pâro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter isn't related to the first one except in the sense that I needed to vent feelings whilst writing Jeronica fluff. Anyways, thanks to Emily for proofreading :)

Veronica was no stranger to pulling all-nighters and going home the next morning still wrecked, as much as she liked to say she’d put those days behind her.  Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest way to cope, but she didn’t know anything else. With her current situation, Veronica had fallen back into her old ways. Ever since Archie had been arrested and her parents started treating her like a pariah, she’d spent more nights drinking at La Bonne Nuit than at home.  

 

_ ‘What if everything really is my fault? Maybe I am a screw-up.’  _ Veronica mused ruefully. 

 

She swirled the contents of her glass around before throwing it back.

 

\---

 

_ “Just watch over her for me, okay, Jug?” _

 

Archie's words ran through Jughead’s mind as he watched Veronica at Pop’s, serving milkshakes with an empty look in her eyes.  

 

_ “She’s not a damsel in distress, Arch.” _

 

_ “I know, but… she just needs someone once in a while.” _

 

Jughead glanced at Veronica from over his laptop.  It didn’t take a genius to see that she was on the downward spiral, but what really made Jughead’s heart ache, was that no one seemed to care.  

 

\---

 

Veronica hadn’t been in the mood to party, but Riverdale’s resident party thrower, Cheryl, was having the first party of the school year.  It was the perfect place for Veronica to swipe free alcohol and get drunk. So she showed up in a slinky black skirt, a black and white patterned off the shoulder top and strappy heels.  Her hair was curled to perfection. Her look was topped off with dark lipstick and long lashes.  

 

\---

 

Cheryl’s party was definitely not Jughead’s scene, but Betty had wanted to go, and being the dutiful boyfriend he was, he agreed to go.  But he also knew Veronica would be going. It would be easy to keep an eye on her if they were in the same place.

 

\---

 

Veronica had grabbed a bottle of scotch from the kitchen before the party was even in full swing.  As she and Archie had previously discovered one drunken night, there was a window on the second floor that was perfect for climbing onto the flat area of the roof that overlooked rolling hills.  As Veronica made her way upstairs, the music grew quieter and the chatter became white noise. Stalking into the empty guest room, she pulled off her heels, as walking on the roof with them was nearly impossible.  She pushed the window open and climbed out. Maybe she was being reckless and maybe a little part of her wondered what would happen if she fell, but she also felt free. She didn’t even care that the wind was howling around her, cutting down to her bones.  The stars twinkled like Christmas lights. The sky was painted an indigo color with trees silhouetted against it. The forest before her seemed to go on for miles, an endless oasis. Veronica gently sat down on the edge of the roof, letting her feet hang off like she had no care in the world.  The wind whipped her hair back as she tipped her head back to take a swig of scotch.  

 

\---

 

Jughead and Betty had lost each other in the crowd of drunken high schoolers.  Jughead was in search of a beer when he noticed someone sitting on the rooftop.  In the dark, it was hard to tell who, but he could make out telltale raven hair and instantly knew it was Veronica.  No one else at the party glanced up at her. An itch in the back of his mind told him he should leave her alone but he shook the thought away.  Wasn’t that what everyone was doing? Leaving her alone? And where was she? Drinking alone on the roof. Jughead’s heart started beating quickly as he went inside to search for the window she’d climbed out of.  After poking his head into four different rooms, he found the open window and her discarded heels. His boots thudded loudly as he ascended out, putting his arms out to keep his balance. At the sound, Veronica whipped her head around.  

 

“Jughead?” Veronica called, startled.  

 

“Hey.” He replied calmly.

 

He slowly moved to sit down next to her.  She pulled away from him slightly, which caused Jughead to grimace.  

 

“What are you doing up here?” She asked, tone laced with hostility. 

 

“I could ask you the same thing.”

 

Jughead shook his head.

 

“It’s freezing up here.” Jughead commented.  

 

Veronica shrugged half-heartedly.  She almost liked the cold. Jughead started to shrug off his denim jacket.

 

“Don’t.” Veronica spoke quickly.  

 

“What?” 

 

“I don’t need your jacket.”

 

“It’s freezing up here, Veronica, you’ll get sick.” Jughead reasoned. 

 

“Well, maybe I want to suffer.” Veronica quipped, crossing her arms.  

 

Throughout their whole conversation, she had never looked at him until then.  Jughead stopped. Her eyes were glassy and he hated it. He hated that she was sitting next to him, close to tears and all he could do was watch.   

 

“Why’d you even come up here, Jughead?”

 

The venom in Veronica’s voice caught Jughead off guard.  

 

“Just… to check on you.”

 

Veronica gave a cold, heartless laugh.  It made Jughead shudder.  

 

“Since when do you care about me?”

 

Jughead turned his head to stare at Veronica.  She refused to keep his gaze.  

 

“You’re trying to push me away.” 

 

“What?”

 

“I’m trying to be nice to you and you’re trying to push me away because you don’t want to get hurt.”

 

“Don’t try to psychoanalyze me.” Veronica spat, finally glancing at him.  

 

Jughead held his hands up in surrender.  Veronica took a long swig from the bottle she’d been nursing.  

 

“Can you at least tell me why you’re alone on the roof instead of enjoying the party down below?”

 

“No.” Veronica replied instantly.

 

“How about why you’re drinking like there’s no tomorrow?”

 

“No.”

 

Jughead sighed.   

 

“You’re destroying yourself, Veronica.”

 

She glared at him harshly.

 

“That’s what I do best.” 

 

She may have been a hot mess, but at least she was self-aware.  She knew she was self destructive. Growing up in New York, it was easy to be.  With parties going on on every street and lines of cute boys, being pessimistic was her brand.  It was simple to get lost in shady clubs in back alleys or under overpasses with guys she wouldn’t remember.  Jughead stared at her and softened.  

 

“This isn’t you.”

 

“Maybe you don’t know me.”

 

_ ‘Maybe I don’t know myself.’  _ She thought bitterly.  

 

“The Veronica I know is indefatigable, unflappable.  She’s composed and smart and caring.”

 

He honestly believed what he had said.  He’d been able to see her in a new light.  They hadn’t started out as friends, but as time went on, he started to understand her.  Veronica turned to him sharply.  

 

“What?” She said softly. 

 

“This isn’t you.”

 

“But… what if it is me? What if I was stupid to think I could be anything other than a bitch who drank away her problems? Did you ever consider that, Jughead?”

 

“Not for a second.  You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

 

“What if I’m not?” Her voice wavered despite her best attempt to keep it steady, “What if I was just destined to fall apart?”

 

In a sudden moment of vulnerability, Veronica took a long swig.  She felt like she was being crushed under her parents' shadow. Jughead glanced at her.  Her slight drunken swaying worried him, especially considering their spot on the edge of the roof.  He wanted to wrap an arm around her waist, but for fear that she would recoil from him, he settled for leaning back and putting one hand behind her.  

 

“I don’t think you’re destined to fall apart.  I know it may be hard, but I believe you can pick yourself up out of the dark times.”

 

Veronica almost wanted to slap him for being so maddeningly calm and kind.  How did he know exactly what to say? Almost imperceivable, Veronica moved closer to Jughead.  She reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, which just smeared her mascara around.  

 

“If I vanished from Riverdale… do you think anyone would care?”

 

As dark as it was, she couldn’t stop pondering it.  If she left this death town, would she  _ and _ the town be better off?

 

“Why would you think people wouldn’t?”

 

“Just… think about it.  When I showed up to Riverdale, it caused a ripple between, you, Archie and Betty. Then, my father showed up and everything went to shit.” 

 

“Well, I’d miss you, if that counts for anything.”

 

Jughead slowly reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders.  He just about sighed with relief when she didn’t push him away.

 

“It does count.” She replied softly.  

 

She wasn’t lying.  Looking back, she could admit she and Jughead got off on the wrong foot, but they’d defended each other.  She just wished it hadn’t taken her world falling apart for them to actually have a deep conversation. She gently laid her head on his shoulder, gazing at the party going on below them.  

 

“Thank you, Jughead.” Veronica whispered. 

 

All he did to reply was press a kiss to the top of her head.  She closed her eyes for a moment. Maybe,  _ just maybe _ , she wasn’t inconsolable after all.   

**Author's Note:**

> In case you are wondering, the song at the end is A World Alone by Lorde. Sorry, this fic was kinda rushed, but hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
